Scores of Southern services are now set to be cancelled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday this week.

This follows the severe disruption passengers have already experienced due to an overtime ban which drivers have been advised to follow by the union.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which owns Southern, went to the Court of Appeal on Monday in a bid to prevent the industrial action, as they believed the strikes would breach passengers' freedom of movement rights, but the application was rejected.

The decision means any services which Southern can run will be extremely limited on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Southern Rail strikes latest

Responding to the Court of Appeal ruling, on the application for an injunction to stop Aslef industrial action, GTR chief executive Charles Horton said: "Naturally we are disappointed with this decision.

"We had a responsibility to the travelling public to do what we could to stop this unprecedented strike action.

"Regrettably, there will be no train services for passengers tomorrow [Tuesday], Wednesday and Friday. We strongly advise people not to travel.

"In addition, there will be severe disruption every day during the ongoing industrial action because of the union's overtime ban.

"This is wholly unjustified and unnecessary industrial action. The widespread use of drivers operating trains is perfectly safe both in Southern and elsewhere in the UK, where a third of trains operate this way every day."

"We will now be asking ACAS to convene urgent and immediate talks between GTR and Aslef.

"Our aim is to find a resolution to their dispute so we can bring an end to the misery being suffered by the travelling public".

(Image: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Aslef's general secretary, Mick Whelan, said its drivers had been forced to strike because of what he called GTR's "intransigence".

Mr Whelan said the union wanted negotiations "in good faith", adding: "We have tried everything possible this year to reach a sensible and workable compromise with Southern in the interests of passengers and management as well as of staff.

"We have always been prepared to sit down and talk, because we have always believed it is, or should be, possible to do a deal - as we did with ScotRail - but the company, encouraged by the Department for Transport, has not been prepared to negotiate with us."

As well as the three days of Aslef action this week, Southern commuters also face strikes by conductors from the RMT union on Monday December 19/Tuesday December 20 plus Saturday December 31 to Monday January 2, followed by a further, week-long Aslef strike from Monday January 9 to Saturday January 14.